Have you been waiting to buy Super Meat Boy and all of its meaty awesomeness for when it finally released on the PC? Well, Team Meat is so awesome that Pre-Orders on Steam are 33% off the launch price basically following the same example they set when they released the Xbox 360 version.
Also, you can download Runman: Race Around the World completely Free. If you don’t have the game you should definitely try it out. Download it at this link: http://whatareyouwait.info/download.php. This game may help you wait out the time between now and the release of the PC version, it is actually quite fun.
Finally, Team Meat has stated again that the level editor for the PC version won’t be available on release it will come later in a free update. So be patient and just enjoy the game without it until it comes out. (Level Editor is only available in the PC version)
Another flip of the ON switch; another firmware update. This time, everyone’s favorite UMD toting portable gaming system gets the new duds, in a software format of course. Coming soon for the little powerhouse, this firmware will lay the groundwork for the PSP to support the streaming service of Qriocity. You can visit the official website here.
In short, the service allows you to stream music through the cloud. It appears as though you will be able to stream your own music and, in the future, Pandora like streaming will also be added for PSP. No word if the service will come to PS3 or if the video options in Qriocity will function. Our guess? No.
Their is also an update for MediaGo that fixes some UI issues and adds more photo editing options. Look for it soon.
Platinum Games has released some Pre-Production footage of the game recently, and honestly I’m glad we weren’t stuck playing the game in the video. As you can tell the menus are different, but the biggest difference is probably just how slow the game is. I can’t tell if it is framrate lagg or simply the pace of the game. Luckily, Platinum Games stepped up and increased the awesome located in there game before they actually released it.
Enjoy the video below to see just how far the game actually came before being released.
Emphasis on the “Shipped” part. Konami has “shipped” one million copies of the game to various retailers. The total amount sold is a different number, but it is probably really high up there as well.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a really good game and if you haven’t picked it up you probably should give it a shot. Except of course if you are in Japan, in which case you need to wait until December to get your hands on the game. However, once December hits you should definitely pick it up.
Shinji Hirano, President of Konami, had a few nice words to share when the game achieved this milestone, “Castlevania has truly reinvented itself with its move to next gen platforms and we’re extremely pleased at the positive response we’ve seen toward Castlevania: Lords of Shadow globally, mainly due to the dedicated fans who have supported the series for so long, the remarkable sales achieved in such a short time are a true testament of the work and dedication that went into this project, and we’re very grateful to have partnered with such fine talent in the rebirth of one of Konami Digital Entertainment’s most successful franchises.”
A lot can happen over the years and boy do things improve at the same time. We have a brand new trailer for Two Worlds II from Southpeak and Topware and it is looking great to say the least. There’s plenty of action going on between humans and orcs murdering each other on a battlefield. There is even an intense battle between a head orc and someone who appears to be Sordohan. That is until he starts to lose the battle and the big guy up upon the hill decides to summon spikes on the battlefield and punch a hole through that orc’s chest.
Two Worlds II is coming out some point in January of 2011 for the 360, PS3, and PC so better hurry up and finish all the other games in your library before the New Year rolls around because it looks like fans of 3rd person adventures are going to have their hands full of action when this one hits shelves.
“Challenge your mind in the wondrous depths of The UnderGarden. Plunge into a unique new world exploring large underground caverns, encountering mysterious creatures to befriend or avoid. Solve mind-bending brainteasers and puzzles as soothing tunes accompany you on your journey through 14 distinct levels of state of the art 3D graphics. The UnderGarden offers a mental challenge and aesthetic experience like nothing else.” (Xbox.com)
The UnderGarden does not really have a story. I am not sure if it even has a point, other than the obvious, “get to the end of the level” game mechanic. As with many games, this game does not rely on a story to carry the game. Rather, it tries to do it all with atmosphere and gameplay. And this atmosphere is psychedelically colored awesomeness. One way to think of it is playing through an ocean/tropical reef IMAX documentary, without commentary. To get to the end of the level, you must grow plants in an underwater paradise and solve puzzles. You are, as best I can describe, a Teletubby like creature that can jet around the water like a penguin. Yes, that does sound extremely bizarre, and it is. The fact of the matter is,this bizarre and curious design translates into the whole game and that is a good thing.
Gameplay
As previously mentioned, you can swim around an under water garden. However, this garden is basically dead. That is, until you distribute some pollen and make it come alive. This part of the game is hardly challenging. But it is somehow very relaxing and very atmospheric. There are puzzles aplenty to be had though. By making flowers or tress grow, you also get to harvest their produce. You can then use that produce to your advantage and solve puzzles with the varying types of fruit. Even the fruit follows the insane rules of the land of The UnderGarden. For example, some banana looking fruits are are really heavy and weigh a ton! They can push down blocks obstructing your way.
Unfortunately for the game, puzzle solving is just not that fun. Sure, the first few times are interesting. The different types of fruit do keep it fresh for awhile, but the puzzles are, quite simply, dumb. Also, the controls for the game are awful. Making you feel like you are actually underwater and having to slog through it may add to the general feel of the game, but in practice it left me jamming the analog sticks every which way. All that being said, the real strength of the game is the way it makes you feel.
Although the controls and puzzles struggle to perform, the vibrant colors and the relaxing task of just growing flowers make up for nearly all of it. I really can’t explain it, but it IS, for lack of a better word, therapeutic. You may have read in books that gardening is said to be a healing agent. I never really believed them, but I can see how that might be possible now. Not to say that this game is exactly like gardening, but the emotions that crazy colors bring out are fascinating. Maybe that sounds like an exaggeration, but it is just so exciting to see a game developer try something different. So many games are focused on fast reflexes and instant death as a punishment. That is fine. I love games like that. But video games are still entertainment and entertainment can mean a lot of different things. This game is, at the very least, an original idea that brings some slight innovations to the table. At the very most, The UnderGarden dispels the notion that the only video games are about is violence. And it does that in a very cool way with some intriguing elements and, of course, some weirdly awesome colors and characters.
Graphics and Audio
Graphics are nothing short of spectacular. They really draw the player into the game and that is great. Each garden was full of each hue of the rainbow and you could also change them up with certain actions. There are some quibbles to be had though. Take as an example, the explosions (yes, even a peaceful game like this has explosions. If you are worrying, stop; no one dies. 😉 ) The explosions are possibly the most boring explosions ever seen. Maybe that is to take add to the general emotion of the game, but wow, they are dull.
Audio in the game is not something to fawn over, but it is acceptable. Sure you have a basic soundtrack, and you can capture little musicians that play a beat. Generally though, the music and audio merely provide a background noise and an obligatory emotional backdrop to the rest of the features in the game.
Overview
The UnderGarden is advertised as an alternative to the many shooters of this generation of consoles. Its message is “Make Flowers; Not War.” Judging by the stats on Major Nelson’s blog, this will not appeal to some. But if you are looking for a different type of game, this is for you. It may not have the most exciting gameplay, or the latest explosion special effects, but sometimes entertainment is not meant to enthrall, but merely to entertain. Looking for a relaxing day? Look no further than the wildly original UnderGarden.
So the entire premise of NeverDead is the fact that your main character simply can not die. He can get torn to pieces and thrown all around a room and still just roll himself back together. He can even throw his own body parts for the sake of a strategic advantage. Now when you put all of this together, how do you lose such a game?
Well it turns out that there are a few ways. NeverDead itself is Konami’s upcoming 360/PS3 shooter that is being developed by Rebellion and also people who used to work for Kojima Productions, and one of those people reported on how players will stumble upon a Game Over. Metal Gear Acid ex-director, Shinta Nojiri came up with the original idea of an immortal protagonist.
He goes on to tell Gamasutra one way that the player can see the Game Over Screen. It is something that I expected a few weeks ago when we last heard about the game as it involves the fact that your AI partner doesn’t share the same benefits of immortality and can die just as easily as any normal person.
“He has an AI character partner named Arcadia, who is a normal lady. She can die. When she’s dead, it’s a kind of Game Over for the player, but we have other cases; she’s not always along with him. The player will also have other cases of failure, but it’s not death. This doesn’t happen to him.”
It’ll be interesting to see how there will be other ways to fail. Maybe players will have their various pieces taken away from each other and locked away separately so that they can not recombine again. Wouldn’t really kill him but it would cause him to never escape and result in a Game Over too. Or even something we can’t even fathom yet.
We’ve covered bits and pieces of information involving The 3rd Birthday which is the third installment of the Parasite Eve franchise. We also know that Aya will be able to use the Overdive system to enter into friendly troops and take over their bodies as her own so she can use them to help defeat the Twisted and advance her mission. Well it turns out that she isn’t limited to only diving into her allies, but is able to dive into her enemies as well.
Famitsu explored the move and detailed even more of the game’s actual customization system. We will get to that in a moment. The move in which she dives into her opponents is called the Overdive Kill and is usable after Aya has nearly killed a Twisted with gunfire. When the player sees a triangle mark appear by the enemy they will be able to lock onto the opponent and then press triangle to enter into the Twisted’s mind and allow Aya to destroy it from inside of it’s own mind. Twisted way to kill the Twisted huh?
It isn’t all about killing though is it? Well maybe so but The 3rd Birthday also allows players to customize Aya’s abilities by placing DNA chips on something called the Over Energy Board. The board consists of nine different squares that link together, and with different chip sizes players may not be able to use nine chips at a time. This means that not only will you have to make some tough decisions, you may have to play a bit of Tetris to get every chip you want to fit on the board. In a bit of a Bejeweled feel players who line three of the same chip next to each other cause them to combine levels and create one more powerful chip. Enough references to other games though
Another thing we see is that an old face from the first game makes a return in some screenshots. That face is Kunihiko Maeda and looks to be helping Aya from within a laboratory inside of Manhattan. Not too much more information on what role he will play though so we will keep you updated as we learn more.
Alright folks. Some people have Gran turismo 5 and some do not. Whatever your doing pry your eyes off the tv screen and onto this weeks update.
PlayStation Network Stock Up for Winter Sale
Top Gun – Sale (PS3) (now $7.49, original price $14.99)
PixelJunk Racers 2nd Lap – Sale (PS3) (now $3.49, original price $6.99)
Deathspank – Sale (PS3) (now $7.49, original price $14.99)
Gundemonium Collection – Sale (PS3) (now $7.49, original price $14.99)
Joe Danger – Sale (PS3) (now $7.49, original price $14.99)
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker – Sale (PSP) (now $19.99, original price $39.99)
Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake – Sale (PSP) (now $9.99, original price $19.99)
Groovin’ Blocks PSP – Sale (PSP) (now $4.99, original price $9.99)
Dissidia Final Fantasy – Sale (PSP) (now $9.99, original price $19.99)
Dante’s Inferno PSP – Sale (PSP) (now $19.99, original price $39.99)
Monopoly – Minis – Sale (PS3/PSP) (now $2.49, original price $4.99)
Young Thor – Minis – Sale (PS3/PSP) (now $2.49, original price $4.99)
Hero Of Sparta – Minis – Sale (PS3/PSP) (now $2.49, original price $4.99)
Alien Zombie Death – Minis – Sale (PS3/PSP) (now $1.99, original price $3.99)
Fieldrunners – Minis – Sale (PS3/PSP) (now $3.49, original price $6.99)
Updates
Destruction Derby – Sale (PS3/PSP) (now $2.99, original price $5.99) **Part of the PlayStation 15th Anniversary Sale
Bomberman Ultra – Sale (PS3) (now $4.99, original price $9.99)
Alien Havoc – Minis – Sale (PS3/PSP) (now $2.99, original price $4.99)
Bubble Trubble – Minis – Sale (PS3/PSP) (now $2.99, original price $4.99)
Freekscape – Minis – Sale (PS3/PSP) (now $2.99, original price $4.99)
Mahjongg Artifacts – Minis – Sale (PS3/PSP) (now $2.99, original price $4.99)
Caterpillar – Minis – Sale (PS3/PSP) (now $2.99, original price $4.99)
Gold Fever – Minis – Sale (PS3/PSP) (now $2.99, original price $4.99)
Panda Craze – Minis – Sale (PS3/PSP) (now $2.99, original price $4.99)
Rocks N’ Rockets – Minis – Sale (PS3/PSP) (now $2.99, original price $4.99)
Shapo – Minis – Sale (PS3/PSP) (now $2.99, original price $4.99)
Polar Panic – Permanent Price Drop (PS3) (now $4.99, original price $9.99)
Cho Aniki Zero – Permanent Price Drop (PSP) (now $14.99, original price $19.99)
Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days – Permanent Price Drop (PSP) (now $19.99, original price $29.99)
Disgaea Infinite – Permanent Price Drop (PSP) (now $14.99, original price $19.99)
Dragoneer’s Aria – Permanent Price Drop (PSP) (now $9.99, original price $14.99)
Mana Khemia: Student Alliance – Permanent Price Drop (PSP) (now $9.99, original price $14.99)
Prinny: Can I Really Be The Hero? – Permanent Price Drop (PSP) (now $9.99, original price $19.99)
What Did I Do To Deserve This, My Lord!? – Permanent Price Drop (PSP) (now $5.99, original price $7.99)
What Did I Do To Deserve This My Lord!? 2 – Permanent Price Drop (PSP) (now $7.99, original price $19.99)
Aedis Eclipse: Generation Of Chaos – Permanent Price Drop (PSP) (now $7.99, original price $9.99)
Blade Dancer: Lineage Of Light – Permanent Price Drop (PSP) (now $7.99, original price $9.99)
Downloadable Games
Dragon’s Lair ($9.99)
Dream Chronicles ($9.99)
PAC-MAN Championship Edition DX ($9.99)
Beat Sketcher ($9.99)
Spelunker HD ($9.99)
Magic: the Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalker ($9.99)
Auditorium HD ($9.99)
PSone Classics
Arc the Lad II ($5.99)
Arc Arena: Monster Tournament ($3.99)
Game Demos
Dream Chronicles Trial
PAC-MAN Championship Edition DX Trial
Magic: the Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers Trial
Add-on Game Content
Mafia II – Joe’s Adventures ($9.99)
Naughty Bear: Episode 10 – The Vampiricom ($9.99)
Moto GP 09/10: Free 2010 Moto2 And 125 Update (free)
Joe Danger Chicken Costume Pack ($0.99)
Joe Danger Indian Costume Pack ($0.99)
Joe Danger Knight Costume Pack ($0.99)
Joe Danger Monkey Costume Pack ($0.99)
3D Ultra Mini Golf Adventures 2 Fairy Tales Map Pack ($2.99)
Enslaved: Odyssey To The West – Pigsy’s Perfect 10 ($9.99)
Splatterhouse: Corrupted Mask ($0.99)
Splatterhouse: Dia Del Los Muertos Mask ($0.99)
Splatterhouse: Retro Hockey Mask ($0.99)
Splatterhouse: Skull Mask ($0.99)
Splatterhouse: The Killing Floor ($1.99)
Lara Croft And The Guardian Of Light – Things That Go Boom Challenge Pack 2 (free until 12/21)
Front Mission Evolved: Last Stand ($4.99)
Front Mission Evolved: Map Pack ($3.99)
Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2 – All In One Pack ($9.99)
ModNation Racers – Carnival Props Pack ($4.99)
ModNation Racers Progressive Flo Kart (free)
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit – SCPD Rebels Pack ($3.99)
Magic: the Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers DLC (x23) ($0.99 – $4.99) Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock
For all song credits please visit www.guitarhero.com.
“Bulletproof Heart” – My Chemical Romance ($1.99)
“Helena’” – My Chemical Romance ($1.99)
“Teenagers” – My Chemical Romance ($1.99)
“Welcome to the Black Parade” – My Chemical Romance ($1.99)
My Chemical Romance Track Pack ($7.49) – Downloadable Track Pack featuring “Bulletproof Heart”, “Helena”, “Teenagers”, and “Welcome to the Black Parade” by My Chemical Romance. Please Note: Many songs are available both as singles and as part of a Track Pack, so please carefully consider your purchases before downloading.
Rock Band 3
Build your Rock Band library by purchasing these song game tracks. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.
“Crippled Inside″ – John Lennon ($1.99)
“Jealous Guy″ – John Lennon ($1.99)
“It’s So Hard″ – John Lennon ($1.99)
“I Don’t Wanna Be a Soldier Mama″ – John Lennon ($1.99)
“Gimme Some Truth″ – John Lennon ($1.99)
“Oh My Love″ – John Lennon ($1.99)
“How Do You Sleep″ – John Lennon ($1.99)
“How?″ – John Lennon ($1.99)
“Oh Yoko!″ – John Lennon ($1.99)
John Lennon’s “Imagine” Album ($14.99) – Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game album: John Lennon’s “Imagine” Album. This pack includes “Crippled Inside”, “Jealous Guy”, “It’s So Hard”, “I Don’t Wanna Be a Soldier Mama”, “Gimme Some Truth”, “Oh My Love”, “How Do You Sleep”, “How?”, and “Oh Yoko!” by John Lennon.
Rock Band Network
“Hanuman” – Rodrigo y Gabriel ($1.99)
“Living in a Whirlwind” – Warbringer ($1.99)
“Rollercoaster” – Sleater-Kinney ($1.99)
“Smash the Control Machine” – Otep ($1.99)
“The World is a Thorn” – Demon Hunter ($1.99)
Bundles
PS1 Classic Bundle – Arc The Lad II & Arc Arena: Monster Tournament ($8.99)
3D Ultra Mini Golf Adventures 2 Bundle ($11.99)
Blue Toad Murder Files: Episode 1-6 + Advent Theme Bundle ($26.99)
Applications
Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood Ascendance ($1.99)
VUDU Movie Service (free) (US Only)
Avatars
Devil May Cry 4 Avatars (x3) ($0.49)
Ghouls And Ghosts Avatars (x3) ($0.49)
Mega Man Legends 2 – Data (Jumping) Avatar ($0.49)
Kung Fu Rider Karin Avatar Bundle ($1.49)
The Fight Lights Out Avatars (x6) ($0.49)
TV Superstars Avatars (x10) ($0.49)
Sports Champions Avatars (x6) ($0.49)
Sports Champions Avatar Bundle ($1.99)
Game Videos (free)
The Tester Season 2 – Episode 4
Pulse 11/23 Edition
Dragon Age 2 – Rise To Power Trailer
Medal of Honor TV Spot
Crazy Taxi Trailer 1
Dungeon Siege 3 Gameplayer Trailer 1
WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2011 TV Spot Trailer
Spelunker HD Trailer
ModNation Racers Artist Spotlight: Family Guy
Gran Turismo 5 – X1 Prototype Trailer
Gran Turismo 5 GT Academy Announce Video
Gran Turismo 5 Behind the Scenes with Jeff Gordon
MAG – Escalation Trailer
No Heroes Allowed! – Launch Trailer
LittleBigPlanet 2 – Creatinator Featurette
Beat Sketcher Launch Trailer
Music
The Fight: Lights Out Soundtrack ($6.99)
PS3 Themes
Spelunker HD Theme (HD) (free)
Spelunker HD Theme (Retro) (free)
Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
Mini Uzi Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
With the release of the Understone Quest Pack DLC earlier today the good people at Lionhead figured it was about time they got on top of some of the problems that are plaguing an otherwise great game. A few of the fixes will be including spawning problems, the occasional slowdowns that players experience in performance and just performance in general. Other issues supposedly addressed in the patch are fixes for the sanctuary map and audio problems inside of it and the dreaded corrupted game save problem that can end adventures in an instant.
Unfortunately there isn’t a set time for this release date as their website says Coming Soon, so we may not even know when the patch goes live until it asks for us to update our game to continue playing online. Either way it looks to be beneficial for everyone. There was even a small listing saying that there will be a newly released “voice over pack” for certain regions of the game. The regions are unnamed so it may just be other language voiceovers or even new voices in general.
